Nut and screw fastening



F. S. CARR NUT AND SCREW FASTENING Filed July 22, 1925 .We auf?,

June 24, 1930.

' Fatent Ju 24, 1930 liti OI NEWTON, MASSACHUSTTS, iSSllGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO 'UNITED-CAIRE FASTENEB CORPORATION, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A

TION 0F MASSACHUSETTS NUT AND SCREW FASTENING Application tiled July 22,

Ylhis invention aims to provide an improved nut and screw fasteninginstallation.

in the drawings, which illustrate a preerred embodiment of my inventionFigure 1 is an elevation view of the complete installation showingunderlying parts in dotted lines; l

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevationView showing the nut unit secured to its support;

Fig. 4 is a section of the nut unit and suport and a screw and supportprior'to securing? the supports together; v

ig. 5 is a iront elevation of the nut unit; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the nut unit. Referring to the drawings, Ihave shown a shiftable nut fastening device for securing a plurality ofparts together. The fastening device is particularly, though notexclusively, useful in securing fixtures to sheet metal supporting partsor for securing two sheet metal parts together as shown in the drawings.

The fastening device includes a screw 1 and a nut unit 'comprising anut-holder 2 and a nut 3. The nut holder 2 is pressed from a singlepiece of metal to provide a base portion 4 and two resilient fin ers 5,5 extending from the base. These ngers extend at both sides of the baseso as to provide relatively long fingers thereby to permit freeexpansion and contraction at the free end thereof. At their outer ends,the fingers are bent outwardly and inwardly to provide reversely benthook portions 6.

' The nut is provided with a base portion 7 and a shank portion 8. Whenassembled with the holder 2, the shank portion 8 protrudes through anaperture 9 in the base of the holder, the aperture being relativelylargshank, thereby permitting shifting movement of the nut relative tothe holder. The base 7 of the nut is provided withlnotches 10 whichreceive the resilient fingers 5, 5 of the holder to prevent turning ofthe nut relative to the holder. rilhese notches are relatively widerthan the fingers, so that the nut may be oscillated relative to theholder. 'The fingers 5, 5 and the base 4 of the holder cooperate withthe base 1925. Serial No. 45,276.

portion 7 of the nut to hold both parts in assembled relation whilepermitting shifting o the nut relative to the holder in an transverse'direction. The nut is also suitable lengthwise of the holder toback-support the fingers 5, 5 and prevent contraction thereof.

The purpose of permitting the nut 3 to shift relative to the holder 2 isto provide for alignment of the nut with a screw when the fasteningdevice is used for securing parts together which cannot be shiftedrelative to each other for alignment of the screw 1 with the nut 3. ThusI have provided simple and eiicie'nt means for correcting anymisalignment of apertures formed in the sheet metal parts.

an inner sheet metal part 11 andan outer 4 part 12. The inner part 11 isprovided with a depressed, area 13 having an aperture 14 through thebottom thereof presenting notches 15, 15 for receiving the fingers 5, 5of the nut-holder. The outer part 12 is provided With an aperturesubstantially in alignment with the aperture in the inner part 11;

In many instances, the back face of the inner part 1s inaccessible afterthe outer part has been placed against the inner part and therefore itis necessary to provide a nut which is held in position relative to theinner part while the outer part is being secured to the inner part..

The nut unit illustrated is particularly well adapted to lbe applied tometal framework, the inner face of which can be reached before the outerpart is placed in position upon the framework. Thus the nut unit cansnapped into engagement with the art 11 from the inner or back facethereoi). The fingers 5, 5 contract as they pass through the notches 15,15 and expand after passing therethrough so that the reversely bent hookportions overlie and seat against the front face of the support 11 inthe depressed area 13, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The interlockingengagement of the fingers 5, 5 with the notches 15, 15 prevents relativeturning movement of the nut unit relative to the inner ysupport 11. l

The depressed area 13 provides' a space into which the outer endportion@ of the lingers 5, 5 may project while permitting the outer partl2 to lie llush against the inner part ll, as illuatrated in ltig.

After the outer part l2 hasv been plaeed against the inner part ll, thescrew l may be entered through the aperture in the outer part andengaged in 'the screw threaded hole. in the nutI Il. ll'hen the screw lis turned.Il it threads itsell" into the nut and at the same time thenut shifts' into alignment with the screw l. The screw may be turneduntil the base or flange portion T of the nut E is pulled tightlyagainst the back 'laee ot the inner part ll7 as shown in Fig. Thus thehase i otl the nut will seat against the part ll be tort the shankportion tu olI the nut. can be withdrawn from the aperture in theholder, as' bes-t illustrated in Fig. 2. rl`hisl arrangement preventsthe nut l'roni becoming disassembled from the nut-holder even though thenut may be tipped slightly in order properly to align itsel ll with thescrew l.

ln this particular type of nut unit'. the main purpose ot the nut-holderis simply to hold the nut in assembly with the inner part l l andprevent rotation thereo't while a lacrew is be ing engaged with the nutto secure tht` outer part or lixture to the inner part.

`\Vhile l have shown and described a prel'erred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that'y changes involving omission,Iaubstilution. z iteration and reversal of parts, and even changes inthe inode ot' operation, may be made without departing l'roin the scopeolmy invention, whieh is best delined in the following claims.

llaims:

l. A fastening device eonipri. ing` in coinbination, a one-piecenut-holder having a base portion, a plurality et resilient lingers eachextending l'roin said base portion tirst in one,

direction and then in the opposite direction to provide lor substantialexpansion and contraction ot" said lingers, a nut located between saidlingers and resting upon said base portion`v and meansl providing a lostmotion connection between the nut and the. nut-holder whereby the nutmay ,shift laterally in any direction relative to the nut holder.

A fastening device comprising, in comu bination. a nut-holderpresenting` a plurality of lingers lor resilient engagement with aysupport, a s'hil'tahle nut having' a notch interlocked with one of saidlingers to prevent substantial turning movement of the nut relative tosaid holder. said notch being larger in area than the cross-sectionalarea ol the linger with which it cooperates and said nut being spacedfrom said tingers to permit lateral shifting ot the nut relative to theholder lor alignment with a cooperating Screw.

3. A fastening device comprising, in combination, a nut-holder having anapertured base, yieldable lingers extending troni said FRED S. Calf,

